dr' Vitalis Nakrois,

1
Key discussion points and results from Section
1. Co-operation between science and business
needs, reality and promotion with the support of
the EU Structural Funds

• dr. Vitalis Nakrois,
• Programme manager,
• Public Policy and Management Institute

2
Importance of co-operation

• Links between business and science are important
  for competitiveness
• but the state has other legitimate goals
• Co-operation between business and science is a
  tool for achieving these goals
• There are two extreme ways of achieving
  competitiveness (paradigms of technology push
  and market pull)
• Also, there many ways of achieving partnerships,
  but all involve governments, business and
  science.

Report from Section 1
Dr. Vitalis Nakrois
3
Existing situation in Lithuania

• Limited cross-cutting links between business and
  science
• Low level of expenditure for RD and insufficient
  number of researchers (in particular in the
  private sector)
• Insufficient results of the national innovation
  system
• Adequate reform measures, but difficulties in
  their adoption and implementation
• But the availability of the EU Structural Funds
  act as a catalyst for promoting the co-operation
  between business and science in Lithuania.

Report from Section 1
Dr. Vitalis Nakrois
4
Foreign experience

• Main lessons for Lithuania from the Scottish
  experience
• - Ownership of intellectual property by the
  science
• - Presence of institutional structures providing
  funding
• Adequate motivation of researchers to link with
  the business sector
• Mutually-beneficial partnership between business
  and science.

Report from Section 1
Dr. Vitalis Nakrois
5
Efficient solutions instruments

• Programme-based competitive funding for RD
  (including the Lithuanian Research Council)
• National programmes involving the
  science-business links, joint science and
  business valleys, etc.
• The important role of universities and their
  structural units (such as technology transfer or
  career units)
• Strengthening human resources in RD and building
  strategic intelligence capacity
• Clear rules of the game reducing financial,
  market-based and human resource-based risks for
  undertaking innovations in the business sector
  (not only of higher-value added businesses).

Report from Section 1
Dr. Vitalis Nakrois
6
Efficient solutions process

• Better co-operation between main stakeholders (a
  more effective Science, technology and innovation
  development commission, a new working group by
  the Ministry of Economy/Ministry of Education and
  Science, stakeholder meetings, etc.)
• The importance of starting actual implementation
  (supported by monitoring and evaluation with
  possible adjustments)
• Focusing on the most important needs (doubts
  about the volume of funding and the number of
  staff).

Report from Section 1
Dr. Vitalis Nakrois
7
Role of international co-operation

• RD Open Method of Co-ordination in the framework
  of the updated EU Lisbon strategy (e.g. a recent
  CREST review in Lithuania)
• Implementation of the 7th Framework Programme and
  other EU RD programmes in the period of
  2007-2013
• ESF-supported transnational co-operation
  activities in the period of 2007-2013 (e.g. the
  exchange of experience or staff and its
  training)
• International and domestic networking and their
  synergies.

Report from Section 1
Dr. Vitalis Nakrois
8
Key discussion points and results from Section 2.
Challenges and opportunities for practical
training in vocational education

• Haroldas Broaitis
• Director
• Public Policy and Management Institute

9
Content of the report

• Challenges
• Solutions
• Policy making
• Policy implementation
• Potential for transnational co-operation

Report from Section 2
Haroldas Broaitis
10
Challenges

• Need to enhance appreciations of VET and skills
• Need to have a more coherent VET providers
  network
• Need to ensure quality

Report from Section 2
Haroldas Broaitis
11
Solutions policy making

• Strengthening links between VET providers and
  working-life
• Apprenticeships as a quick way to labour market
• Work experience/placement as a compulsory part of
  VET programmes
• Apprenticeships v. work experience

Report from Section 2
Haroldas Broaitis
12
Solutions policy implementation

• VET providers network
• Competition v. consolidation
• Specialisation as a means of consolidation
• Sectoral practical training centres
• Securing availability of competent teachers and
  trainers
• Financing patterns
• funding for learners,
• performance-based funding
• In a number of countries there is no more
  separate state funding for capital investments in
  VET providers development of infrastructure
  could not be separated from exchange of
  international experience

Report from Section 2
Haroldas Broaitis
13
Potential for TN co-operation

• Transnational co-operation high and ongoing in
  Lithuanian case, as VET system in Lithuania is
  the process of development, new stage of which
  was marked by recently adopted new Law on VET (it
  introduces a number of new or revisited concepts)
  
• Some examples covered pilot initiative on
  apprenticeships borrows heavily on the experience
  in Germany and Switzerland but also other
  countries

Report from Section 2
Haroldas Broaitis
14
Key discussion points and results from Section
3.Development of non-formal adult education the
role of the state and efficient use of the EU
Structural Funds

• Rimantas Dumcius
• Programme manager
• Public Policy and Management Institute

15
Content of the report

• Challenges
• Solutions
• Policy making
• Policy implementation
• Project level
• Potential for transnational co-operation

Report from Section 3
Rimantas Dumcius
16
Challenges

• Weak participation of adults in life-long
  learning, esp. blue-collar and socially excluded
  groups
• Imperfections in labour, training and financial
  markets
• Inadequate administrative capacity and
  co-ordination to address the above weaknesses and
  imperfections
• NB lack of money is not the most pressing issue.

Report from Section 3
Rimantas Dumcius
17
Solutions policy making

• Learn from the past mistakes and the best
  practice (incl. generated through Leonardo,
  Grundtvig, Equal) and use the analysis in
  programming
• Develop new policy instruments that address
  specific challenges and learning needs
• Think of end-user first this would help to
  overcome barriers to inter-institutional
  co-operation and ensure policy relevance
• Avoid the proliferation of delivery agencies
  concentrate the capacity building effort
• Focus on life-wide skills build employability on
  personal development rather than limiting
  provision to immediate employment skills -
• this is the only way to tackle social exclusion.

Report from Section 3
Rimantas Dumcius
18
Solutions policy implementation

• Set up good governance framework, including
  qualifications system, QA systems, monitoring and
  flexible delivery systems
• Invest into capacity of implementing agencies
• Ensure provision of information, guidance and
  methodological support to project promoters
• Community partnership approach towards achieving
  high quality projects (funds also for project
  development phase).

Report from Section 3
Rimantas Dumcius
19
Solutions project level

• Learning as key to local development and social
  inclusion
• Key success factors
• Developing local strategy
• Local leadership skills
• Engaging key local agencies, stakeholders and
  understanding community needs
• Understanding the demand of local employers
• Motivation and engaging of learners
• Social cultural activities (eg. sports)
• Linking learners providing open access to
  learning
• Providing and marketing information on positive
  outcomes

Report from Section 3
Rimantas Dumcius
20
Potential for TN co-operation

• Co-operation arrangements to build capacity at
  policy planning, implementation and local/project
  level (eg. twinning instrument)
• Working to address common challenges
• Joint learning programmes, mobility
  opportunities
• Economy of scale in development of new products
  or their adaptation
• Joint working to ensure cohesion between the EU
  and the neighbouring countries.

Report from Section 3
Rimantas Dumcius
21

• Thank You!
• Public Policy and Management Institute
• Vieosios politikos ir vadybos institutas
• http//www.vpvi.lt